Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to ensure the objectivity of the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The working group includes members from a cross-section of society and have been selected for their technical expertise and experience and ability to work to deliver the objectives of the group.
The Terms of Reference and full membership of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Working Group were published on Monday 24 March. Per the Terms of Reference, the Group is an independent, non-statutory body. These also set a requirement for group members to immediately raise any potential conflicts of interest with MHCLG.
The group will make evidence-based recommendations for ministers to consider, informed by engagement with a wide cross section of individuals and organisations from across the sector.
A Call for Evidence was recently published on gov.uk to ensure that the advice provided to Government reflects the diverse experiences and opinions of our faith communities’ and beyond across the country.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of (a) abductions, (b) forced marriages and (c) religious conversions of (i) Christian and (ii) other minority girls in Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I am deeply concerned by reports of abductions, forced marriages and religious conversions of Christian and other minority girls. I raised the importance of protecting minority rights with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights during my visit in November 2024 and Lord Khan raised this in meetings with senior Government of Pakistan interlocutors during his visit in April 2025. Our High Commission in Islamabad continues to raise these issues at the highest levels and engages regularly with civil society to monitor the situation. We urge the Government of Pakistan to uphold its international human rights obligations and ensure that all citizens, regardless of faith, are protected from coercion and violence.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the protection of religious freedom for Christian communities in Nepal, in the context of (a) recent political movements advocating for the restoration of a Hindu kingdom and (b) trends in the number of attacks on Christians.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief, recognising that freedom of religion is a cornerstone of human rights and democratic societies. Our Embassy in Kathmandu engages a range of different faith leaders and civil society on human rights. Through this and other engagement, the UK will continue to signal respect for religious diversity and support for everyone's right to freely practise their faith, traditions, and beliefs without fear or prejudice.
Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what individual diversity networks, and trade union diversity networks, are recognised by the Ministry of Defence and each of the Armed Forces.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises a comprehensive range of diversity networks which are listed below.
In addition, the MOD recognises five main Trade Unions, (Prospect, PCS, FDA, GMB and Unite). The MOD’s Trade Unions have Diversity and Inclusion networks aimed at supporting their members however the MOD does not recognise nor engage directly with those networks.
Race Networks
Disability and Carers Networks
Gender Networks
LGBT Networks
Families Networks
Faith and Belief Networks
Social Mobility Networks
Wellbeing and Support
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department is providing to (a) churches and (b) faith-based charities in the context of trends in the level of (i) energy costs and (ii) donations.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We know this is a difficult time for the civil society sector; cost of living pressures are leading to increased demand for many organisations, alongside their higher running costs.
Over the last year, my department has been delivering the VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is a £25.5 million fund to support voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations across England to save money on energy bills. The fund was designed to help groups with rising energy costs and was targeted at those delivering key frontline services. Recipients of the fund have included over 40 churches and faith-based organisations.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England plans to take to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
In a paper for the February 2025 sitting of the General Synod of the Church of England, the Liturgical Commission wrote:
“The Nicene Creed is one of the most significant, universally recognized and definitively authoritative statements of Christian faith, originating from the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and later expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. It encapsulates the trinitarian shape of Christian believing, provides a comprehensive summary of the faith of the Church, and has been a central part of Christian worship for centuries”.
In its paper the Commission reminded the Church of England of the historic position of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed in its worship, commended its frequent recitation in worship, and remarked on its helpfulness as a didactic aid. The paper can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/gs-misc-1408-the-use-of-the-nicene-creed.pdf
The Church of England has produced resources to mark the 1700th anniversary. The publication 'We Believe: Exploring the Nicene Creed', is a series of 24 reflections on the words of the Nicene Creed, which will also be available on the Church of England’s daily devotional app, Everyday Faith, from the day after Trinity Sunday. Each reflection explores a portion of the Creed through the lens of a short Bible passage and a simple reflection, accompanied by a treasury of prayers. These reflections will form a centrepiece of the Church of England’s contribution to this year’s celebrations, as well as providing a lasting resource for Christian education and formation.
More information is available here: https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/books/9781781405154/we-believe-single-copy
The Ecclesiastical Law Society is hosting a conference in Chichester in June on ‘Nicaea Received: 1700 Years of Canons, Councils and Ecumenism’, which will be attended by the Archbishop of York and will feature speakers that include His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
As part of its regular series of events and lectures, Westminster Abbey is hosting a symposium in November on the Council of Nicaea and its influence.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the contribution of (a) churches and (b) church buildings to (i) society and (ii) the economy each year.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
A fully comprehensive assessment of the social and spiritual contribution churches, whether in their physical or congregational form, make to the nation would be beyond the scope or ability of any government. They provide sanctuary, enlightenment, succour, warmth and solidarity. They offer a space in which to celebrate, congregate and commiserate; a place in which to witness some of the greatest art and architecture, ancient and modern; and a venue to mark the great occasions of our lives as individuals, as a community and as a nation. For many people of faith they offer a sense of purpose, commitment and shared religious identity. In many cases they also offer rooms for voluntary groups, rehearsal spaces and act as our most important valuable visitor attractions.
In addition, the Government is aware of external research carried out by the National Churches Trust, which shows that for every £1 invested in church buildings there is an estimated Social Return on Investment of £3.74, which can go up to £18.10 when alternative wellbeing valuation methods are used.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Burmese military junta has bombed civilian areas affected by the earthquake in Burma; and what further assessment they have made of (1) the number of fatalities and casualties, and (2) how much humanitarian assistance is reaching victims.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK was concerned by reports of continuing airstrikes by the Myanmar military after the earthquake. On 2 April, the Myanmar military announced a temporary ceasefire which we welcome. We now call on the Myanmar military to fully respect the ceasefire. We estimate 4,346 people have lost their lives so far (as of 10 April), but we expect this to increase significantly. Our initial £10 million of humanitarian assistance is already reaching those directly affected by the earthquake as we channel funding to long standing local partners (local civil society organisations, faith groups and education providers).
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting times were for patients requiring an organ transplant in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) religion and (b) ethnic group.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information on waiting times is not held by year for religious or ethnic groups. Waiting times also vary between organ types.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for organ donation and managing the organ transplant waiting list across the United Kingdom. Information available on annual activity and the current waiting list is captured in the NHSBT Annual Activity Report, which is available at the following link:
https://www.odt.nhs.uk/statistics-and-reports/annual-activity-report/
Improving National Health Service Organ Donor Register registration rates overall and particularly for ethnic minority groups is a priority for the Government and NHSBT, to save and improve more lives.
NHSBT conducts marketing and communication activity throughout the year to increase organ donation particularly for underrepresented groups which includes but is not limited to: publication of the Annual Report of Ethnic Differences in Transplantation with supporting media coverage including on the BBC Asian Network; raising awareness during South Asian Heritage Month with charities and organisations; continued activity during Organ Donation Week 2024 with partners including Dalgety Tea and an exclusive screening of the living donation film ‘The Final Gift’ at Brixton’s Ritzy cinema.
NHSBT is committed to reducing health inequalities in treatment and health outcomes that see some people wait longer for life saving treatments, or in some cases miss out on them all together. Some of the priority areas to tackle health inequalities include reducing the waiting time for minority groups waiting for organs and increasing access to automated exchange transfusion by people with sickle cell disorder.
NHSBT’s Community Grants Programme is part of NHSBT’s work to build support for organ donation amongst Black, Asian, mixed heritage and minority ethnic communities, working through faith groups to increase understanding and drive behavioural change on organ donation. In the latest funding round, we awarded 51 organisations funding to begin their work in September 2024. This included £150,000 to support deceased organ donation and £150,000 to support living kidney donation.
Projects range from local community charities, experienced blood/organ charities to universities and places of worship. For example, the South Asian Heritage Trust aims to raise awareness about organ donation and tackling health inequalities by empowering South Asian communities to make informed choices and increase the number of registered organ donors. NHSBT also works closely with patient groups and charities including the Sickle Cell Society, the National Black, Asian, Mixed Race, and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance (NBTA), the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, the NHS Race Health Observatory and many more.
NHSBT works closely with the NBTA to deliver culturally and religiously sensitive messaging about low donation rates amongst their communities.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 6 February (HL4583), what specific measures they are taking to address the root causes of marginalisation of minority faith communities in Nigeria, and what targeted support they are providing to protect individuals' freedom of religion or belief in the light of local blasphemy laws.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports programmes working to address the root causes of intercommunal violence in Nigeria through locally led peace-building efforts. Through our Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme ('SPRING') the UK is providing £38 million to reduce rural violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, including by supporting collaboration and productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists, and strengthening conflict early warning, management and response. The UK Government also funds the provision of legal and judicial expertise to make legislative changes to protect Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), including addressing blasphemy laws. The right of individuals to express their beliefs or non-belief is essential to a free and open society. Our dialogue on human rights, including FoRB, will remain an important part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria.